Take A Stand
by thelaurensheese
Summary: My first ever fanfiction. Credit goes to c2ndy2c1d for the creation of Nat. I do not own any of the EENE franchise. Please leave reviews and suggestions on any corrections I should make etc. This will be a long story, so any feedback is appreciated. Thanks guys!
1. Chapter 1

The crisp morning air was startling to Eddward Vincent-abruptly waking him from his slumber. He hadn't slept much that night anyways due to the fact that he had not only his own homework to complete, but that of the high school hotshot Kevin and his sinister sidekick Nathan. Day-in and day-out they shoved Edd against lockers, cut his bike chains, and beaten him senseless in the boy's locker room after gym class. He couldn't even ride his bike to the high school anymore. Edd's love of school and learning was the only thing keeping his motivation alive.

"One of these days, I'll stand up to them," Eddward thought to himself as he crawled out of his baby blue comforter and started towards the bathroom. "Kevin has tortured me since childhood. He should know better by now. Nathan, on the other hand, is a new student and is just taking after Kevin. But still. I can't go on like this much longer. This is my senior year for heaven's sake."/p

"Eddward twisted the shower knobs to obtain his desired temperature and tiredly slipped off his clothes. Upon entering the shower, he slipped and his elbow clashed with the shower door. "OUCH! Oh dear!" Eddward clutched his arm until the resonating pain died down and assumed a bruise was the worst case scenario.

"Once fully submerged in the steaming water Eddward allowed his thoughts to shift to the negative side of his mind-as part of his morning ritual. He found that if he could start out the day getting through the negative, he would be able to reflect on the positive easily throughout the rest of the day. He thought of the every day torture he endured by Kevin, the abandonment he felt from his parents unintentionally never being around because of their prestigious jobs, and the pain of always faking a smile. The anguish he had to hide every day for the sake of others. "Why doesn't anyone care about me for once or ask how I'm doing..." Tears started pooling at his eyes but they were masked by the water already falling on his face. And that's how he liked it.

"BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BE- A fist came down on the digital clock. Kevin Barr rubbed his eyes and shifted over in his bed. "Ha! Last night was one for the books," he thought to himself as he stretched his arms and yawned. He reached over to look at his phone and read the unfinished conversation he drunkenly started with Claire, the most promiscuous cheerleader at Peach Creek Highschool. He didn't even bother to apologize for falling asleep. The only thing on his mind was the irritating hangover and the location of his father's aspirin. Once he gained the strength to get out of bed, he walked into the kitchen to find anything to dull the headache. He decided a shot of whiskey was his best option.

"Kevin stepped into the shower, washed his hair and scrubbed away at last night's misadventures. "I can't believe how wasted I was. Nat too. That pervert couldn't keep his hands to himself the whole night!" Kevin chuckled to himself. Once he finished shampooing his hair, he stepped out of the shower and faced the mirror to admire his athletic body. He was proud of way the water glistened on his muscles and dripped from his red hair. He had the power to make any girl fall to her knees, but yet he was never satisfied. Every time he gave some chick a shot, something was always missing or it just didn't feel right. But the emptiness was usually patched by picking on Double-D at school and Kevin was feeling especially empty today.

"Double-Dork always wears that stupid sock on his head. Hmmm...I wonder what he has to hide." Kevin hurriedly put on a green long-sleeved t-shirt and some worn out skinny jeans followed by the signature red hat his mother bought him from the hospital gift shop. The cancer in her brain had spread and there was nothing left to do but wait then eventually say goodbye forever. Kevin was three then and the hat was too big for him to wear, but now it fit him perfectly and served as a reminder of the beautiful fire-haired woman he never had the chance of truly knowing.

"Eddward looked up at the bathroom mirror to see his eyes were still puffy from sobbing. He noticed the scar on the top of his head and gingerly put his beanie on to cover it. "I'm ready for today," he said aloud. It didn't matter if he talked to himself or not, there was no one else in the house besides the plethora of sticky notes his parents left from their short visit two weeks ago. They always made sure to stock the cabinets and refrigerator before they left. They trusted Eddward to take care of the house and himself in their absence.

"Eddward made his way back to his room and put on a red t-shirt, black jacket, and ripped skinny jeans. He made his way into the kitchen but didn't feel hungry. Rather than go the morning without eating, he packed an apple into his bag and started for the door. He slipped on his black shoes and walked outside. Peach Creek High School was approximately 5 blocks away, but Eddward enjoyed the walk. He would usually meet his best friends Eddy and Ed along the way, but they had decided to skip the school day, something Eddward would never allow himself to partake in, to play video games and watch movies.

"Good morning Edd! How's your project on Ant Colonization going?"

Eddward replied, "Salutations Mr. Lynch! Its spectacular! Colony A has accepted the new Queen, but Colony B seems to be showing signs of aggression at the change of a new monarch which proves my hypothesis to be correct!" Eddward and the teacher walked past the two mischievous athletes and continued their conversation about ant establishment between varied species' until they reached his locker.

"Are those boys still picking on you, Edd?" Mr. Lynch asked with a worried expression on his face. He once found Edd hiding in the back of his classroom to avoid the miscreants. "If something is happening, do not ever hesitate to stop by my classroom after school to talk about it." Mr. Lynch was well aware of Edd's situation at home and took extra care to watch over him. But before Eddward could answer his question, the bell rang calling for the first class. "I'll escort you to your Calculus class, Edd. It's my fault that you are late."

Rather than argue with Mr. Lynch Eddward nodded his head and walked to Room 201: Calculus. Eddward walked in with a smile on his face as Mr. Lynch apologized to the Calculus teacher for keeping him after the bell. Mr. Lynch said his goodbyes and made his way to his own classroom. The rest of the class flew by as Eddward raised his hand to solve every problem and finished his homework before the bell sounded for second period.

Eddward quickly packed up his things and headed towards his locker down the hall. Once he arrived he found two tall boys waiting for him. In heighth, Eddward and Kevin were easily matched. In their childhood Eddward was always taller than Kevin, but Kevin managed hit a growth spurt in seventh grade that made him just as tall. Nathan arrived at Peach Creek their sophomore year and towered above both of them.

"Hey there cutie! I think you have something for us!" Nathan sneered at Eddward and held out his hand to retrieve his homework. Eddward looked down sheepishly and opened his bag to pull out the article summaries he worked all night on. He handed them their papers and began to open his locker when Kevin punched it closed and walked off with Nathan.

"Why do you have to be so rude to the little guy? He's so innocent, its adorable!" said Nat. Nat moved to Peach Creek two years ago and due to their love of athletics, he and Kevin became well-acquainted. Kevin didn't like Nat at first, but the teal haired boy won him over with his annoying nicknames and animated personality.

"He's just...a dork. All he's good for is doing our homework and being my punching bag. Him and the rest of those dweebs." Kevin laughed while looking over the homework Double D completed for them as they walked to their next class together. As Kevin began looking more at the report, he noticed Double D didn't take care to write it in Kevin's handwriting. "Nat! There's no way the teacher is going to believe I wrote this! The dork didn't write it in my handwriting!"

"Kevin. Calm down. It's fine I'm sure he won't notice." Nat said reassuringly.

"No! He's going to pay for this one!" Kevin referred back to his thoughts from earlier today about Double D's hat. "How about we see what that dork's hiding under that sock after gym class today?"

"Now Kevin, you know how I love helping you annoy him, but that is going a little too far this time. He NEVER takes that thing off." Nat replied. "You can count me out on that one. Plus, I can't be late to Mr. Lynch's class again."

"Alright fine man. See ya later Nat!" Kevin rushed to his next class and sat down in his seat the exact time the bell rang. Throughout the whole class period he couldn't stop thinking about how he was going to get that hat away from Double Dork. If Nat was helping it would be so much easier. Nat could just hold him back as he went to grab it but this is going to be a solo project.

"That dork is always last to leave the locker room anyways. All I have to do is just wait until everyone is gone and corner the little dude." Kevin thought to himself. Soon the bell sounded and Kevin was the first one out of the classroom. He rushed past the other students as fast as he could towards the gym.

"I'm sorry Eddy, but I don't have time to talk about scams at this moment for I am late to Physical Education. Please excuse me," Eddward said to his sententious comrade as he started towards the gymnasium. Eddward loathed the class, but he understood why being physically healthy was necessary to a stable lifestyle and therefore added to productivity in one's life. He entered the gentleman's locker room to change into his "active gear" for today's activities, but noticed Kevin looking at him in a rather odd fashion instead of engaging in the conversation Nathan was attempting to creat. Eddward completed the assignment they had given him, so he could not think of a single reason why Kevin would be glowering at him.

After gym was over, all of the boys headed to the locker room. Everyone changed out and headed out the door to their next class, but Kevin and Eddward were the last two remaining in the room. Kevin was staring at Eddward and it made him feel very uncomfortable. Every movement was monitored by the jock's emerald green eyes and Eddward started to feel very anxious. As Eddward started towards the door Kevin blocked it and smugly rested one of his hands on Eddward's shoulder.

"W-well s-s-salutat-t-tions K-Kevin," Eddward nervously forced out of his mouth. "W-we had better-r hurry to Biology before Mr. Lynch counts us tardy!" But Kevin did not move. A devilish grin crept upon his face and his eyes were gazing into Eddward's. As Kevin moved closer and closer Eddward could sense Kevin's attention shifting from his eyes to his hat. Eddward quickly reached up to pull the hat over his face and at the same time Kevin's hands shot up to retrieve it.

As Kevin was trying to pull the hat off of Eddward's head, Eddward was screaming at him and for help from any one within earshot. Their class was the last class in the gymnasium for the day, but he kept yelling for help. As the two boys tackled each other for the black beanie a hand came in between them, separating them.

Eddward looked up to see Mr. Lynch grabbing Kevin by the shirt and then dragging them both to his office.


	2. Chapter 2

Eddward's legs were shaking and he tapped his feet nervously on the floor. Kevin was seated in the chair next to him as they listened to Mr. Lynch instructing the class to read Chapter 14 as he took care of matters in his office. Eddward refused to look up for he could feel Kevin staring coldly. The boys heard footsteps enter the office and the class grew quiet as the students started on their assignment.

Mr. Lynch sat down and stared at the boys with a contemplative expression. He tapped his fingers on the desk and then folded them into his hands.

"Kevin," Mr. Lynch started, "What in the world did I witness you doing to Edd?" Mr. Lynch stared Kevin down. Kevin started to sweat and shift uncomfortably in his chair. He refused to look directly at Mr. Lynch, but he met eyes with the teacher and opened his mouth to speak.

"Listen Teach, it was nothin' bad. I-I was just helping the dork..." Kevin trailed off in hopes that the teacher would buy his story. Then he gave Edd a quick stare to scare the nerd into going along with the story as well.

"Is that true, Edward?" Mr. Lynch asked turning to look at Eddward. The nerd's eyes never left the ground and his feet stopped tapping. He knew he shouldn't lie to Mr. Lynch. He had always been so supportive of him, like a more mature best friend or even go as far to say father. But if he did not lie, Kevin's wrath would be unleashed and Eddward wasn't sure what he feared most. Mr. Lynch seemed to sense this fear in Eddward. He leaned forward and put his hands on his desk.

"Listen boys, we have a class we need to be returning to, but I have a project that I want both of you to complete by the end of the year." said Mr. Lynch. "Kevin, every day (after practice) I want you to spend at least an hour with Edd. It doesn't matter what you do, but I want a summary after each meeting." Mr. Lynch turned towards Edd. "Now Edd, I want you to sign off on what Kevin writes at the next day's meeting. If anything does not match up to what happened that day, do not sign it and come straight to me. Once we reach the end of the year, I will reward you according to the amount of effort you two put forth into this project." He looked at Edd and then at Kevin. "Understood?"

Both of the boys nodded their heads. Eddward let out a shy smile and stood up to join the rest of the class. Kevin's face was red with not only embarrassment, but fury. It was hard enough to complete his own homework after practice, but now he had to hang out with this dork and write about it?

But then Kevin started thinking about how beneficial it would be to have the dork's brains work on his homework every night. It was just an hour and he never said how long the summaries had to be anyways. Kevin then rubbed his hands on his knees and followed Double Dork into the classroom to sit with the rest of their classmates.

The bell had sounded for the end of the day and the students were all at their lockers. Eddward was at his locker organizing the books according to tomorrow's class schedule when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen Double Dweeb, I'll be at your house tonight after practice. You better help me with my math homework." demanded Kevin.

"Y-y-yeah, s-sure Kevin-n." answered Eddward. Eddward was nervous about Kevin coming over. He also had no idea when Kevin's practice would be over, or when to expect him. But before he could ask, Kevin was already headed to the field.

Eddward was setting up his textbooks when he heard the doorbell ring. He looked towards the door and his heart started pounding. He had no idea what to expect. Should he have put out some snacks or drinks? It was only going to be an hour, but Eddward was so used to the Ed's making themselves at home that he didn't know what to prepare for anyone else.

Eddward pulled away from his apprehensive thoughts and started towards the door. He slipped his hand over the knob and turned it to unveil Kevin. He was wearing the same green shirt from this morning and the red cap he always wore.

"You gonna invite me in, Double Dweeb?"

"Oh, yes. My apologies, Kevin. Please come in." Eddward nervously said as he moved out of the way for Kevin to pass. Kevin seemed calmer than usual. The boys walked in and sat on the couch. A math textbook sat on the table in front of them and Kevin started to look nervous. He was tapping his fingers on his lap and looking everywhere but the textbook.

"So, Kevin. What is it exactly that requires my assistance?" Asked Eddward nervously. Kevin shifted uncomfortably on the couch. He could see Kevin was embarrassed about the subject and Eddward relaxed a bit.

"Well... Kinda all of it. If I don't pass my next Math test then I'll be off the team." Kevin said.

Eddward smiled and picked up the book. "We will begin with the basics then." Eddward read aloud the lessons and made practice problems for Kevin to solve. If Kevin didn't know how to complete any of the problems, Double D was there to help him complete the equation in a way Kevin could understand. Soon the hour had passed and Kevin felt confident in his ability to solve Math problems

"Well its 8 o'clock now, so I guess I'm gonna go. Thanks Double Dork." Kevin sheepishly smiled as he gathered his things and headed towards the door.

"When is the date of your Mathematics test, Kevin?" Double D asked.

"Uhh, it's next Thursday. So, 10 days away I guess." Kevin answered.

"Well, I can help you study for it. After practice, that is. Since we have to spend an hour with each other every day it would make sense for me to tutor you along with it," Double D added.

"Choice. See you tomorrow Double D!" Kevin warmly called as he walked out of the door. Eddward couldn't help but to smile. This was the first positive interaction he had with Kevin since the passing of his mother. Kevin became a new person after that and shut everyone out except for Nazz. He gradually started Rolf and the others, but they would never compare to his relationship with Nazz. Eddward was almost jealous as he began to think about how inseparable they were and even are now. He then retreated to the kitchen to make himself some dinner and then retire for the evening.

Kevin walked into his house and immediately went upstairs to think about the last hour. He wrote down every bit of what happened in the summary he was supposed to complete for Double D to sign the next day. For the first time in a while, he was excited to see Eddward the next day. As soon as he finished the summary he went to bed and thought of Edd.


	3. Chapter 3

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE- A hand softly pressed the "Off Alarm" button on the alarm clock. The ginger stretched his arms and let out a small yawn. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around the room and adjusted to reality. For once he didn't feel tired and was looking forward to school. His chest had started to feel warm as he thought of seeing the dark haired teen read over the eloquent summary he had written over their meeting the night before.

 _Wait. Why am I looking forward to seeing the dweeb?_ Kevin thought. Wasn't it just the day before that he was furious at the teen for carelessly forgetting to write his assignment in his handwriting? Wasn't it just yesterday he cornered the dork in the locker room to expose whatever evils lay hidden underneath that mysterious beanie?

Kevin decided to shrug it off and start the day. Who cares what changed. These were good feelings and somehow, he felt less empty.

Eddward awoke to the sound of his cell phone ringing. It was Eddy.

 _Oh dear, I wonder what is troubling Eddy. He rarely wakes up before 7 a.m. and here we are approaching 6:30 a.m. How intriguing..._

Eddward broke away from his thoughts to answer the phone call. A gruff, half-awake voice said, "Listen sock head, I'm skipping today. _Really_ skipping this time and chillin' at the junkyard. Ed's coming. Bring some snacks on your way over will ya?"

Eddward was appalled at his friend for taking the value of learning for granted but more perturbed by the short teen's conclusion of him skipping as well. Eddward got up out of his bed, hung up the mobile phone and headed to the shower to start his morning ritual.

 _Today's the day,_ Kevin thought. _Today I finally get to show off Red_. Kevin had spent weeks working on his beloved motorcycle. He saved up enough money from mowing lawns to buy the motorbike from the scrap yard and various parts to really fix it up. But today it was finally ready.

Kevin stepped into the garage and pressed the button to open the garage door. As the steel door opened the sun crept in to divulge a shiny red and chrome 1996 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle. Kevin took a deep breath and put on his customized airbrushed helmet and mounted the bike. The roar of the engine made his heart race. He pulled out of the driveway and lost himself in the ride to the high school.

Eddward was nearing the high school when he heard an unfamiliar roar from a motorcycle approach the parking lot and park in the space closest to the exit. _Isn't the rider aware of how riding motorcycles increases the death rate in driving collisions due to the fact that there is nothing surrounding the driver to provide a suitable barrier?_ Eddward thought to himself. But he kept staring at the driver to investigate their identity.

The rider stepped off and proceeded to take off the helmet to expose fire red hair and was quickly replaced with a very familiar red hat. As the realization hit Eddward, his heart began to pound. Was this anxiety he was feeling? No, this felt different. Much like butterflies. Eddward watched the athlete as he walked toward the school and admired his build. How his body glided as he walked with confidence and how his hair peeked out from under the bill of his legendary red hat. The more details Eddward began to note, the more his heart raced and the redder his face became. Eddward quickly turned and headed toward the school as he clutched his books tightly to him in hopes of stopping his heart from beating out of his chest.

Several hours later Eddward was at his locker organizing his textbooks and materials in order of necessity in relation to tomorrow's schedule. He was alone in the hallway for everyone had left for their homes and practices for the day. It was calming to Eddward to view the empty hallways and classrooms as he began walking towards the exit.

As he stepped outside he looked in the far corner of the parking lot to see if the motorcycle was still there, but it had been moved closer to the school sidewalk and Kevin was casually leaned against it, seemingly waiting for someone.

Kevin looked up to see the nerd staring at him. His face blushed and he called out to Double D with his head still looking down.

"Hey nerd! Come here."

The raven haired boy walked over. "Salutations Kevin! How are you fairing this afternoon?"

Kevin looked up to look at the boy and examined him before answering. His skinny jeans were hugging his long legs almost perfectly and his green t-shirt encompassed his torso loosely, but he could still make out the thin teen's features. His pale collar bone just peeking out slightly.

"Ugh yeah," the ginger answered. "How about you?"

"Today was exemplary," Double D smiled and responded. His cyan eyes drifted toward the red and chrome monster.

Kevin noticed Double D staring at his Red. "Wanna go for a ride dork?" Kevin asked.

"I-I d-don't think th-that would be v-very safe mode of tr-transportation, Kevin," the nerd stammered.

"C'mon dude, hop on." Kevin threw a spare helmet to Double D and he fumbled it as he caught it. Kevin put on his own helmet and helped the nerd onto the bike before getting on himself. He felt thin arms wrap around his torso and hug him tightly and a face bury itself into his back. His face began to turn red and he started up the engine and sped off.

Eddward had no clue where they were headed or why he suddenly had so much trust in Kevin, but the wind flying past the boys as the motorbike raced through the streets was enough to make him hold on to Kevin with all of his strength. He heard Kevin mutter something, but the roar of the motor blocked out all noise.

Five minutes later the boys slowed down and pulled into a driveway. Eddward gingerly lifted his head. They were at his house! Both of the boys stepped off of the bike and Eddward handed the helmet back to Kevin. Kevin's hand grazed Double D's fingertips and both of the boys turned away from each other immediately.

"You didn't have to take me home, Kevin."

"Can-it twerp. It's no bid deal." Kevin muttered. "Hey here's that summary of yesterday. You can just give it to me tomorrow."

"Actually Kevin, I have already devised a binder for this project-complete with dated dividers." replied Eddward.

"Yeah sure whatever." He handed the paper to Eddward. "See ya tomorrow dork. I gotta get back to practice." The teen turned back towards the bike and was putting on his helmet.

"But Kevin, it hasn't been an hour!" Eddward called!

"Just means we will have to spend two hours tomorrow!" Kevin yelled over the bawl of his motorcycle. Then he drove out of the driveway and down the street towards the school.

Eddward walked inside and locked the door behind him. He set down his books and looked over Kevin's paper.

 _Oh my... His writing is beautiful..._


	4. Chapter 4

**I solely apologize for such a short chapter after so long of not updating. Many new life adjustments have happened to me, but I have finally found the self-motivation to continue this fic. This chapter is going to be about Kevin's summary to Edd. Some of the chapters will just be summaries to give you a different idea on who Kevin Barr really is. Is he really just a jock with a motorcycle and tattoo fetish or is he a deeper character who needs forceful investigation? I think so. Please leave comments and reviews! I am always looking for improvement!**

 _I walked to the front steps of the Vincent Residence. The white shudders that accompanied the windows looked almost angelic in the sun against the dark beige of the siding that surrounded the home. My fingers grazed the doorbell in hesitation. What would this dork think of me? Why did I agree to this? Pulling myself and my courage together, pressure from my fingers was applied to the resin door chime and a musical echo was heard followed by some light footsteps. The bronze colored door knob slowly turned and sapphire eyes greeted me. Skin so exquisitely pale it resembled ice was beaming from the V-neck of an olive green t-shirt. Hair so dark that the night sky would be jealous was sneaking out of a black beanie with two white stripes running on the side. An almost perfect smile, save for a gap in the front row of teeth, presented a nervous double dweeb that seemed to be petrified by my presence._

 _"_ _You gonna invite me in, Double Dweeb?" I did not intend on being so brash. I grew intensely nervous and the weight of my textbooks had suddenly exposed itself._

 _The nerd invited me in and I set my math textbook on the table in front of us. He prompted me with questions about y studies and let that ethereal smile glow once more._

 _After an hour of considerate tutoring had passed, I took my leave. I was hesitant to go. A protective and caring side had taken over me-one that I hadn't seen since the day of my mother's passing. Before I vanquished any side of me that showed emotion. I believe a connection was linked tonight, but only more time with the dork would confirm it._

Eddward put the paper in its respective slot in the overly organized binder. His mind was clouded with confusing thoughts. _What was happening? Where did this come from? What have I gotten myself into?_ He set the binder down on his desk and walked over to the side of the bed. He sat at the edge of the bed and smoothed his hands over his face rubbing his eyes in the process. His phone started buzzing from the bedside table. He picked it up and saw five missed calls and ten text messages from Eddy. Probably from not providing snacks for their ditch-day at the junkyard. He plugged his phone into the charger and put it back on the table. Arms against the back of his head, his mind drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**So there's going to be a bit of violence in this chapter. Just a warning. Honestly I hate how I have to warn the readers that there's going to be violence in a chapter. Paper books don't have warnings. You just read on or stop. These are real occurrences that happen every day. So instead of focusing on trigger warnings, why don't we recognize it and stop it in action? There was a girl in my class in high school who used to get so upset when there was violence in books and would complain to no end about how violence needs to stop being "glorified" in books, but witnessed bullying at school and never did anything to stop it. Just a pet peeve. ANYWAYS here we go.**

 **-not to undermine anyone's situation or experience with bullying or triggers. This is just my opinion and not relevant to the story. BUT if you see bullying anywhere please** **Take A Stand** **against it. Okay sorry for the rant.  
**

Eddward walked the halls with a new spring in his step. He got a full night's sleep and wonderful dreams from the words of Kevin's short essay. A small smile escaped his lips at the thought of Kevin's eloquent description of him. He had never seen himself as exquisite or ethereal before. And Kevin was such a magnificent writer! They had been in the same writing class since 6th grade, so how could he have not known Kevin to be so talented at the subject?

The jocks were all crowded across the hall from Eddward's locker. Kevin was at the center of everyone's attention, enthralling them all in a football war story. The boys exchanged glances and Edd's heart started to speed up. He quickly turned away as he felt a blush start to creep onto his cheeks. Edd stopped at his locker and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. _34…36…-_ He felt a tap at his shoulder. As he turned to face the distraction, his face was struck with a swift punch from one of the jocks who was earlier standing by Kevin. Edd fumbled back and caught himself against his locker.

"What do you think you're smiling about faggot?!" the jock yelled. Edd looked past the raging football player's shoulders to see Kevin and Nat staring at him intently.

"Something wrong nerd?!" The jock struck him again in the nose. A warm liquid started to trickle down the raven haired boy's lips and chin. Tears started to well up in his eyes. He closed his lids and dejectedly slid to the ground and waited for more of the attacks to ensue. After the final blow Edd opened his eyes. The hallways were clear of students at this time. Blood and tears ran down his face as he stood and promptly ran to the closest bathroom.

The teen in the mirror looked nothing like what the nerd looked like this morning. His face was red and splotchy with marks that would later turn to dark hues of purples and blues. He turned the faucet on and cupped the cool water to apply to his face. The sink water would turn red with every trickle that ran down his face.

He looked back up at his reflection and stared deeply into the familiar stranger looking back at him. CLINK! Glass fell to the ground and a ringing pain shot through Eddward's pale, shaking hand. The mirror had broken into multiple shards around his fist and blood started to pool around his knuckles.

"Why can't you just stand up for once? Pathetic," Eddward said aloud. A stall door opened and a tall teal head stepped out.

"EDD! WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAND," the peacock yelled.

"Get away from me." The raven haired teen whispered.

"Dude! Let me take you to the nurse. You're getting blood all over and that hand is gonna need some stitches." Nat grabbed the teen and carried him to the nurse's office down the hall. Edd kept a stolid expression the whole time the nurse bandaged him up only wincing when the hydrogen peroxide bubbled into the wound.

The nurse left the room after asking Eddward to sign the accident report to file the paperwork. Edd turned to Nat and glared. Why was he helping him now? Why didn't he stop the attack when it was happening?

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Nat demanded. Edd just looked down but had the same angry expression on his face. "You know…" Nat started. "You need to toughen up a bit. They wouldn't pick on you so hard if you just showed them you couldn't be messed with."

"Why are you even in here right now?" Edd shouted. "I saw you and Kevin both just watching. If you wanted to help me at all, THAT was the time you needed to act. Not after, but during." Tears started to form at his eyes. Getting bullied at school was nothing new for Double D. He'd been to Hell and back numerous times throughout his childhood. Most of it coming from Kevin. But this time was different. He had had enough.

"I don't know…" Nat trailed off. A guilty look spread across his face. "Okay. You're right. But it's never too late to take a stand." Nat walked out of the nurse's office and the raven haired teen sat in silence.

When the nurse came back she excused him for the rest of the day. Edd walked out of the school and started towards his house. A headache started to form in the back of his head. The walk to his house was a short one, luckily. The wind swept past his wounds making him shiver. He thought back on Nat's words and wondered, _maybe I do need to toughen up…_

He walked up the steps to his front door and took out his key. The empty house coldly welcomed him home and he made his way up to his room. He looked through his closet and stared at his clothes. Sweater vests, khakis, cargo shorts and button ups of all colors. He angrily ripped them all off of their hangers and onto the floor. Ripped all of the science posters off of the walls and threw the baby blue comforter into the trash. He went to the hallway closet and retrieved a black blanket Eddy had given him after one of their notorious weekend movie nights. He wrapped himself up in the dark cloth and fell into a deep sleep to rid him of the angry headache.

Several hours passed and a ring was heard throughout the house. Eddward stood up in a daze and headed downstairs. He started towards the door and looked through the peephole to see a guilty-looking redhead staring at his own feet.


End file.
